City to host candidate Q&As

October 19, 2017

Next Thursday and Friday, Cape Coral voters will get perhaps their last opportunity to hear the candidates for mayor and four city council seats give their views on the issues when City Hall plays host to its candidate debates at 7 p.m.

The city council candidates will take part in their 90-minute debate on Thursday, while the mayoral candidates will take part in a 60-minute debate on Friday. Both will be held in Council Chambers and are sponsored by the city.

"We've offered this forum since 2000. We think it's important to provide this for citizens so they have the opportunity to listen to the candidates who want to represent them," said Connie Barron, city spokesperson. "It allows our citizens to make informed decisions."

The debates will be moderated by former mayor and Council for Progress member Joe Mazurkiewicz. Tom Hayden of the News-Press and Valarie Harring of the Cape Coral Breeze will ask the questions.

The debates will be televised live on Cape TV.

As of Thursday, it had not been determined when the debates would replay. Barron, said that would be determined next week.

"What's unique about our forum is that you don't have to be here in order to watch the exchanges between the candidates," Barron said. "You can watch in the comfort of your own home or watch the replays if you can't see them live."

The debates can be live streamed on the internet with replay usually available the following day. They will be available through the weekend leading up to Election Day.

The candidates are:

Mayor: Joe Coviello and Michael D. Hollow

District 1: John Gunter and Graham Madison Morris

District 4: incumbent Richard Leon and Jennifer Nelson

District 5: James Schneider and Dave Stokes (two-year term)

District 6: John Karcher and incumbent Rick Williams

Mail ballots can be requested by contacting the office of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections by phone at 533-8683, or by fax at 533-6310.

For more information email questions to elections@lee.vote; or visit their website at http://www.lee.vote/.

Early voting will be held from Oct. 30 through Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Cape Coral Lee County Elections Branch Office, 1039 SE 9th Place, 1st Floor, and the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace.

Voting on Election Day will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This is a non-partisan and citywide election. This means all Cape Coral voters may cast a ballot in every race no matter the district in which they live.